


Innocent Fun

by wendymr



Series: Love Knows Not... [2]
Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-02
Updated: 2012-09-02
Packaged: 2017-11-13 09:08:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/501825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendymr/pseuds/wendymr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jean collects on a bet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Innocent Fun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Flowerpotgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Flowerpotgirl).



> Another fic in the _Love Knows Not Its Own Depth_ continuity, written for Flowerpotgirl on LJ, who wanted to see an outside POV. With much appreciation and thanks to Lindenharp for the lovely Jean and Laura icon used on LJ. This story is unlikely to make sense if you haven't read the original story.

Laura Hobson’s phone beeps just as she’s washing her hands after completing another PM. She checks the text a few minutes later – it’s from Jean Innocent.

_The House, tonight, 7. You owe me._

Laura’s eyes widen, and she texts back: _You’re absolutely positive?_

_Completely_ , the return text states. _And you should have seen the look on R’s face when he realised I knew._

_You’re cruel_ , Laura responds. _Should have done it where I could see!_

 

***

At just before seven that evening, Laura strolls into The House, a popular wine bar on Blue Boar Street, and quickly finds two comfortable seats in a corner nook. She orders two glasses of Pinot Grigio and, just as she’s sat down again, Jean arrives.

“Excellent timing!” Jean says, sitting and immediately taking a sip of her wine. “Oh, I need this. Two-hour meeting this afternoon with the local MP and special-interest groups banging on about hunt saboteurs and the bloody Countryside Alliance’s right to defend traditional pursuits. They can defend them all they like as far as I’m concerned, as long as they don’t mow down defenceless members of the public with their sodding great horses!” 

Jean ends her rant by downing a full quarter of her wine. “Sorry – didn’t mean to unload on you.”

Laura smiles and waves her hand. “Not a problem. We all have those days sometimes. Anyway–” She indicates the wine. “–I’ve delivered, so don’t you have a story to tell me?”

A wicked glint appears in Jean’s eyes. “The two of them came in this morning as arranged, and I could tell immediately that things had changed. They were both doing their utmost _not_ to look at each other – but they couldn’t help it, of course. I swear, I’ve never seen Robbie find it so hard to keep his eyes off someone.”

Yet another reason why she and Robbie would never have worked out. He’s fond of her, she knows that, but he never had a problem not looking at her – and, more often than not, when she’s been with the two of them his attention’s been more on what James is doing than on her.

“He’s been like that for a long time,” she points out.

“True, but this is different. Just wait until you see them. But that’s not all. James looked sideways at Robbie at one point... and he has a love-bite on his neck! It’s just below the collar of his shirt, but the way he turned made it visible.”

Laura gives a low whistle. “Robbie Lewis, you randy old sod! Did James know you saw it?”

“Don’t think so. At any rate, if he did he’s getting a lot better at hiding his blushes.”

Laura grins. “Let me think about that... no.” Standing to pick up their empty glasses, she adds, “Same again?”

Jean nods. “Thanks.” She pulls a face. “It’s not as if I have anywhere to be in a hurry.”

“So I’m just a stopgap?” Laura pretends to look offended. 

At that, Jean’s expression turns serious. “You know that’s not true. Honestly, Laura, I don’t know what I’d have done without you over the last year.”

Laura switches the glasses to one hand and squeezes Jean’s shoulder with her free hand. “Any time.”

There are times Laura agrees with that old feminist slogan about fishes and bicycles. Some men can be more trouble than they’re worth, especially when you’re married to them or in a long-term relationship – witness Jean’s husband, who’s currently, unknown to the rest of Oxford CID, “finding himself” through a year-long sabbatical in New Zealand and, Jean’s convinced, an affair with a postgraduate student. Then there’s the men with a pathological fear of commitment – and then the best of the rest, who too often turn out to be gay. Or bisexual, or at least flexible.

Not that she begrudges James having won Robbie. Not at all – she gave up on Robbie for herself close to a year ago anyway. All too easy to see that not only was he not ready to take the conscious decision to replace Val, but also that – even if he didn’t realise it himself – he was already committed to someone else: his dishy sergeant. And they are well-suited, there’s no doubt about that. Despite the age-gap, despite Robbie being James’s boss, they _fit_ , and they have done for a very long time. 

They’re good for each other, and she wouldn’t want it any other way.

Besides, the new DI at the station is pretty dishy, too. Even better, judging by the way he’s been looking at her recently, he’s interested as well. If Alan Peterson were to ask her out, she wouldn’t say no – even if she might have to have words with him about not putting his subordinates at risk of ending up in her care.

Returning with another two glasses, she resumes their earlier conversation. “So why do you think it’s happened now? I was so sure that if they were ever going to get their act together it’d be straight after James’s attack.”

That was their bet: once it was clear that James was going to return to full health after the brutal attack over two months ago that almost killed him, Laura had speculated that this was just what Robbie needed to get past his inhibitions and finally let James know how he felt. Jean had disagreed, saying that she thought the two of them would never manage it that quickly even despite the shock of Robbie almost losing James. “Between the fact that Robbie doesn’t even realise he’s head over heels in love and that James is too terrified even to hint at how he feels in case Robbie refuses ever to go near him again, I’d say a month at minimum before anything changes. If ever, of course.”

Jean takes a sip of wine. “I think James almost resigning, and Robbie saying he’d go if James did, had a lot to do with it. You don’t offer to give up your career for someone unless they’re very important to you. I’d say that was as much a wake-up call for Robbie as it was for James.”

“Hmm.” Laura nods thoughtfully. “Though I’d guess that James getting beaten up during that raid last week helped as well.”

Jean winces. Laura gives her an apologetic smile; of course, that was something she’d had to deal with, a mistake made by one of her DIs. Peterson, unfortunately. “More than likely,” Jean concurs after a moment.

Laura settles back in the deep armchair. “I’d love to have been a fly on the wall when you told them you knew. What did you say?”

“Oh, it was wonderful.” Jean’s eyes light up with wicked amusement. “I told them I expected to be invited to the housewarming.” Laura laughs, almost choking on her wine. “I thought Robbie was going to faint, and James was actually speechless. Probably for the first time in his life!”

“Imagine if you’d said you expected to be invited to the wedding!”

“Wouldn’t at all surprise me if there was one, some time in the future. At least, once the government gets its act together and allows full marriages. I can’t see James settling for a civil partnership.” 

“Hmm.” Laura studies the wine in her glass. “I’m not sure Robbie would, either. He’d see it as half-measures. Robbie’s always been a believer in doing things properly or not at all, as some of my colleagues on the pathology team have found out.”

“At any rate, it’d suit me if it didn’t happen for a couple of years,” Jean says. “I can turn a blind eye for now, but once they make it official _I_ need an official position.”

“None of my business, of course,” Laura comments, “but you’ll probably need that position sooner rather than later. Word’s bound to get out, you know that.”

“True,” Jean agrees. She shakes her head. “Why is it always those two?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t have them any other way.” She gestures at Jean’s wine-glass. “And look at it this way: I’m buying you drinks because of the Dynamic Duo.”

“Speaking of...” Jean drains her glass, then holds it out. Laura snorts and heads up to the bar again.

***

“We should do it, you know,” she says as soon as she gets back.

“Do what?”

“Make them have a housewarming. It’ll kill several birds with one stone,” she continues. “One, it stops any speculation and gossip in its tracks – they’re together, end of story. Two, if you go it’ll be seen that you’re on side.”

“And three, they’ll hate every minute of it,” Jean finishes, eyes alight. “Revenge for all the embarrassment and diplomatic mending of fences they’ve caused me over the years.”

“Mmm. They do deserve it.”

“They _bloody_ well do.” Jean nods decisively. “Right, then. Finish that–” She gestures at Laura’s glass. “–and let’s get out of here. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Dinner at the Quod while we plot the Dynamic Duo’s discomfiture?”

“You’re on!”


End file.
